


not a user-friendly weapon

by julamei



Series: the lucy chronicles [4]
Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-28
Updated: 2015-04-28
Packaged: 2018-08-15 18:25:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,506
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8068033
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/julamei/pseuds/julamei
Summary: whips are not user-friendly weapons; they are just as likely to strike the wielder as the opponent.





	

_Hari followed her into the stables. Days like these, with the hills around her family’s house green and lit up with spring sunlight, a slight breeze cooling the heat in the air, and just enough fragrance from the fields to entice her, Lucy relished in submiting to the beckoning vista outside her window._

_Her mother had loved riding with her, and whenever Lucy went out horseback-riding, she conversed with her mom in something like a prayer or a letter, just a stream-of-consciousness type of dialogue that helped make her feel close to her mother again. She imagined her mother on her favorite speckled mare alongside her, and, if Lucy were honest with herself, it was easier to speak to this phantom companion than her mother’s cold, lifeless gravestone._

_So into the stables she went, and one of the groundskeepers sons, Hari, followed at her heels._

_The stable master, Head Groom Kiadj, had enlisted Hari in taking care of the horses about six months ago, so seeing him around the stable only had Lucy smiling and waving in acknowledgement._

_What she didn’t expected from his unassuming presence was the way he rushed up to her, and in the same heartbeat she registered his invasion of her personal space, had her pushed against the far wall._

_“Get off m—!” She yelled before one of his clammy hands slapped quickly over mouth and pressed hard. She struggled to find purchase in his flesh with her teeth, but he gave no opening and only gripped her jaw tighter. Her fingers clawed at his shoulders and face in attempts to deter him, and after one scratch dug a little too deeply into his neck, he took his hand off her mouth to slam her repeatedly against the wall until her head clunked painfully at just the right angle for her to lose her equilibrium, skip a breath, and leave her body limp with a mild concussion._

_Her lack of resistance spurred Hari’s assault. His body pressed forcefully into hers and his hands, shaking with anticipation, tugged at her skirt, leggings, blouse, and undershirt with no order or finesse._

_As Lucy felt her wits gather about her, indignation suffused her body and encouraged retaliation. She grunted, drawing Hari’s glazed, manic eyes, and even as she watched fury harden in them, he was hauled gracelessly backwards in the blink of an eye._

_“Just what the devil do yer think yer doin?” The loud, booming voice of Head Groom Kiadj filled the stables and suddenly all sound and feeling rushed back to Lucy. She heard the panicked neighing and stamping of the horses and felt the bruises and scratches and cool air on her exposed skin. She immediately righted her clothes and stared, fascinated, as Kiadj recalled the whip he’d expertly employed to entrap the stablehand._

_“Master, she’s always going around in all those skirts!” Hari supplicated from his position admist the dirt and hay on the floor. He turned wild eyes back to Lucy, pointing, and made to move toward her. “Look how she’s grown! Any man would be driven crazy!”_

_Kiadj roared and flicked the whip out again, catching the boy’s cheek with the tip and cutting it to get his attention. Hari turned back to his boss, who deployed the whip again to wrap around Hari’s wrist._

_“Don’t move another inch,” Kiadj ground out in a voice that chilled even Lucy’s blood. Without taking his eyes off Hari, he addressed the girl. “Go wait outside, miss, and I’ll be with yer a moment. Don’t go anywhere.”_

_Lucy scurried from her position and shot out the double doors to lean against the side of the building and calm her racing heart. Part of her tried to make sense of what had happened, wanting to go over the details and the sequence, but another part of her recoiled from the experience and tried to quell any and all of the memories. Bits and pieces made it through her consciousness: the strength of warm, moist hands at her skin, the ringing pain in her skull, the smell of his breath… Lucy shook her head._ Just forget! _She commanded herself._

_Even with the horses’ noise, she could still make out Kiadj beating Hari inside. The boy whimpered but didn’t plead, and Lucy didn’t know how she felt about it. After only a few moments, Kiadj strode vigorously over the threshold of the stable. Stopping almost immediately, he caught sight of Lucy to his right. His eyes softened, and Lucy felt hers flood with tears. Something about his compassion and the shock wearing off left her trembling and so upset._

_“Shhh,” Kiadj comforted as he hugged the girl to him. His strong, warm embrace contrasted so starkly against the young boy’s inarticulate grabbing, and even this, while reassuring, further spurred Lucy’s sobs._

_“He won’t never do that again,” Kiadj said and Lucy felt the rumbling of his voice in his chest, under her ear. “And you won’t never see him, again, neither.”_

_He pulled back to look down at her. “I know yer father won’t approve of weapons,” he said slowly, making sure she kept eye contact and, thus, followed his meaning. “But a good rider knows how to use a whip to train a misbehaving animal,” he finished, gesturing to the same whip, curled up and hooked at his waist, that he’d used earlier._

_Lucy didn’t need to be the bright, fifteen-year-old she was in order to understand him, but she did nonetheless. She nodded, and excitement replaced the fear she’d felt earlier._

_Kiadj smiled at her. “Yer stay here and I’ll go grab Molly,” he said to her and returned a couple minutes later leading her favorite horse with him. “Come back in a little early so we can go over a few things,” he instructed._

_Lucy nodded and gave him a quick hug. “Thank you,” she said, meeting his gaze and wiling as much sincerity inter her eyes as she could muster. Kiadj harrumphed at the look on her face and lifted her onto the horse. ”Just get going.”_

* * *

 “I’ve never understood why Lucy uses a whip,” Gray mused out loud one afternoon. Team Natsu had gotten back earlier that day from a mission, and Lucy had just disappeared through the doors of the guild to go unpack and shower, leaving Natsu, Gray, Erza, and Levy sitting around a table playing cards. Happy flew off to find Charle.

“Yeah, it’s super badass,” Natsu commented, flicking through his cards before growing frustrating and lighting them subtly setting them to smoke.

“She uses it quite effectively, yes, but I agree – it’s an odd choice. Definitely not user-friendly. I myself dislike them,” Erza added, then gave a small, malicious smile to herself. “Swords are much more straightforward, and fun.”

Gray and Natsu paled at her words while Levy snorted, then shrugged. “Lucy said her dad would’ve flipped if she’d tried to learn how to use real weapons, so the stablemaster taught her how to use a whip in secret. Seems like it was the only thing lying around that wouldn’t be suspicious to anyone.”

“Stablemaster, huh?” Gray repeated. “Man, it’s just so hard to imagine Lucy growing up so rich.” Erza’s face softened with the thought, while Natsu’s hardened. “Stables and horses and private tutors…” Gray’s voice trailed off. Natsu tried to imagine Lucy in a frilly dress riding a horse. _Nope, can’t do it._

Levy grinned. “Yeah, our Lu-chan is anything but refined!” She laughed. “Remember when she stuffed her face with pizza at that party in the palace after the Grand Magic Games?” Levy cackled with mirth. “I thought she was gonna choke when the princess came up to her!” Her guildmates joined in at the memory.

Before the three could catch their breaths, Gajeel sat down heavily next to Levy. “Yo, Shrimp,” he said to her before nodding to the others. Natsu stuck his tongue out at the other dragonslayer, while Juvia sighed wistfully from the table to the far right. _If only Juvia had the courage to go sit with her beloved…_

“Watcha playin?” Gajeel asked, reaching for the cards in Levy’s hand.

“Hey!” She yelled, and then used the cards to hit him in the face. “We’re playing BS.”

“Bullshit?” He clarified, making Levy roll her eyes. “Yes, bullshit.”

Gajeel grinned. “I’m great at this game! Deal me in!”

Natsu watched their interaction through quizzical eyes. _Why does he act like such a moron around Levy?_ Then he brushed it off.

“I’m gonna beat the crap out of you, Iron Breath!” Natsu challenged, making Gray smirk. “Yeah, if you hadn’t already destroyed your cards, flame-brain.”

“Wha—?” Natsu’s mouth hung open as he looked at his fingers, which were lightly dusted with ash and resting atop a pile of charred residue. “Shit!” He yelled, backing up and wiping his hands off on his vest.

“Natsu!” Erza bellowed in her scary voice, the light darkening around her with her fury. “Those were my cards!” Natsu squeaked and scrambled away as Erza gave chase.


End file.
